CHAPTER FIVE - THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

Ron Weasley knew that there was a lot involved in a high society wedding. His sister in law Fleur had been able to clue him into just a little bit of what to expect. That was after her initial shock of him receiving such an invite. After all it was not a small secret that the Weasley family had been outside of that part of society for many generations now. Lost when the family had suffered financial difficulty and was cast aside when they could no longer keep up. Yet Fleur had come from a family of aristocratic French wizards who were as wealthy as they were beautiful. Which was incredibly. So out of everyone he could initially go to for help, she was his first option. 

Fleur had also been shocked as to find out how he had got his invite. That he was a date to a Parkinson of all people, a name even she knew well. And had spent a long time trying to find out just why he would be going as a date to one of them. Ron had struggled to keep the truth at bay, and had hinted that there was nothing romantic between them. But he was unsure exactly what the older woman had taken from the conversation, but as long as it didn't work its way back to his mother he did not care. As long as she fully believed the ruse he was portraying that was all that mattered. 

But he thought he was prepared and therefore when he sat at his desk just a few days before the weekend of the wedding, the four day weekend might he add, he was not expecting a familiar face to appear. Claudia Parkinson was not someone who made her presence overly known upon arrival, she had almost perfected the quiet yet graceful approach. Rather she had placed two items on his desk which were enough to gain his attention. A single use coffee cup and what appeared to be a jewellery box. 

"Miss Parkinson." Ron knew not why he had referred to her as her professional name yet again, but for some reason he felt as though he had to in the workplace. 

"Mr Weasley." Her voice was pretty monotone, no clear hint of any emotion as she spoke. 

"What is this?" He questioned opening the jewellery box and being a little confused as to what he saw inside. He was aware of what the items inside were, a set of cuff links and a tie holder but was unsure as to why she was presenting them to him.

"For you dress shirt, I gathered you wouldn't have enough sets for each day." Her words came across like a fact rather than a suggestion or anything else along those lines. 

"I need a new set for each day?" Fleur had not told him this, Ron was sure he only owned one set of cuff links and even then they were not in the best condition. They had been the set he had at 14 and ten years later had not withstood time well. 

"This is high society Ronald. You're suspected to have something slightly different for each day." The way she spoke remained unchanged still regarded as factual and perhaps a little bored. Like he was not enough to properly entertain her, something that hurt his feelings when there was little reason for it to do so. 

"You never told me this."

"You never asked."

"I only have one suit."

"-" Her words were so quiet that Ron could not tell what she was saying at first. Her eyebrow twitched slightly before her usual passive non emotional look returned to her face. "Okay I finish at 6pm meet me outside my office I have a couple of calls to make." Ron could not argue, nor could he inform her that he was off at 5pm and didn't want to hang around the building waiting for her because Claudia was gone and he was stuck listening to her words which were more like a command. Something he was used to doing in his previous relationship and was not sure he liked the idea of it happening again even if it was all fake. 

Yet despite his reservations Ron found himself sat outside Claudia's office at 6pm as agreed to. He had found himself going for a little walk around the ministry building for the hour he was waiting arriving 20 minutes before he was supposed to. The other members of the law office had motioned him to an armchair to wait upon their colleague to finish. And Ron wasn't sure he could feel even more awkward then he had been made to feel. It was not like he had asked for anything, nor that they had made him feel uncomfortable. There was just this strange atmosphere which lingered across the office. Like they knew something suspicious was going on and they didn't trust the ginger haired man in the slightest. 

Which was fine considering Ron didn't trust them either. 

At exactly 6:04pm, if Ron's clunky wristwatch was anything to go by, Claudia's office door opened. She walked out unbothered as he had really always seen her small bag perched upon her shoulder, coat and tiny little scarf wrapped around her neck. Her sunglasses were perched upon her head rather than covering her eyes. It took Ron a minute to gather his bearings and stand because Claudia was incredibly pretty even when she was not passively trying. Though he quickly sauntered over to her curious as to what they were about to do. 

"Are you ready?" Her initial words were abrupt as she offered her arm for him to hold onto well Ron assumed that was the intent. 

"No hello how was your day? Cause mine was okay thanks for asking." Ron could not stop his sarcastic response and he was sure he might have seen a small crack in her emotionless face but it was gone as quick as he thought he had seen it. And he begrudgingly took her arm ready for whatever adventure she was about to take him on. The familiar push and pull of side aparition took him by surprise, knowing it wasn't usual for people to be able to do that inside of the ministry building. Wards of which had been placed during the second wizarding war was supposed to prevent this yet Claudia seemed to have found a way around it. 

"Madame Parkinson I have received your owl." A heavily accented French voice greeted the pair and was the first thing Ron heard when his body had settled into the new environment.

"Ms Novak thank you for allowing such a rush decision we should only need a few items." Claudia had that perfect poised lady voice.

"Of course, may I ask who this is."

"This is my... dear friend Ron who has graciously offered to be my date to the upcoming wedding last minute."

"What a kind, fine gentleman. Let's get his measurements completed." Ms Novak moved towards Ron with her words before ushering him to the small podium like stand in the room. 

The second he was standing he found himself experiencing something similar to the one time he had been properly measured for his own school robes. Tape measures wizzed their way around him, as Ms Novak stood taking notes of the figures they produced. It may have taken 10 to 15 minutes to gather his measurements he was unsure as he found himself distracted with his surroundings. There was nothing exactly incredibly impressive regarding the shop he was inside, it was bright user friendly and had this private feel to it. And it was clear that Claudia loved the place and the woman behind its work, for she had easily settled onto a couch just opposite him and was flicking through one of the magazines left out on the table in front of her. 

"What items are you looking for?" Ms Novak asked Ron at first and he only shrugged in response he wasn't exactly sure what he needed for this wedding if he was being honest. Well he didn't have to admit that he had no clue, otherwise why was he here so close to the event. 

"We'll need two different suits and then a black tie set. A couple of silk shirts for underneath and some ties. Ron can pick out the colour of his own suits." Claudia jumped to the rescue barely looking up from her magazine.

"Will you need accessories?"

"I will be able to source them thank you for asking." Ron looked between the two women as they spoke to one another before he found himself being pushed off the pedestal and towards a small changing room. 

"Try on the mock up and then we can discuss colours and things." Man Ron loved magic, there was no way that a mock up could be made in such short time without magic. 

It took him a few minutes to get the thin cotton clothing items on. They were the opposite of comfortable but he supposed that was why they were a mock up. But the fit was very good and as he left the room he did feel confident. If not a little bit all over the place as this was the first time he was ever really going to get specifically tailored clothing for himself, as the one time he had been measured for uniform his parents had worked out that he would fit into a pair of Charlie's old stuff and it was quickly aborted. 

"Wonderful, it looks like the measurements were very accurate." Ms Novak aplauded herself and Ron found that Claudia was no longer sitting on the sofa she had once been upon and rather was now stood much, much closer to him. 

"You are going to look so dapper in the completed set, have a look in the mirror how well this style suits you." Ron followed her words to the full body mirror. And even though the material was thin, cheap cotton he could clearly see what she was talking about. He did look completely different with the full suit on, he looked like himself but better somehow. And he did like the look. 

"Wow." He breathed out.

"Wait until you get the final product Ms Novak is the best at her craft." Claudia threw out the compliment as her hand went to rest upon his creamy white looking shoulder before running it down the length of his left arm. 

"Okay."

"Okay yeah? Good boy."